


Let's Not Make Things Worse

by helens78



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Character of Color, Gen, Humor, Robots, hodgepodge challenge, otw online con
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-05-22
Updated: 2008-05-22
Packaged: 2017-10-05 07:49:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/39397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helens78/pseuds/helens78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Inspired by a section in <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/users/telesilla">telesilla</a>'s story <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/27629">Your Whole World Now Is An Open Door</a>, Ronon and Teyla try to help clean up a mess left by some malfunctioning robots.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Let's Not Make Things Worse

**Author's Note:**

> Happy birthday to the Organization of Transformative Works! This was written as part of the [OTW Online Con](http://otw_onlinecon.livejournal.com/), for the [Hodgepodge Challenge](http://community.livejournal.com/otw_onlinecon/718.html). My prompt was "Ronon and/or Teyla, hilarious robots".

Teyla glanced down the hall. "I see nothing," she whispered. "And you?"

Ronon shook his head, frowning. "You sure this is where they were spotted?"

"I am certain."

"Okay."

After a moment, Ronon dug into one of his pockets, coming up with a small bead. He flicked it into the hallway and drew his sidearm.

Teyla put a hand on his wrist. "If you destroy them, it will only summon more. They will respond to the debris--"

"Good. Bring 'em all here, it'll keep people from getting hurt elsewhere."

"I do not believe anyone has actually been injured--"

The first robot shot into view. Its motors were silent, but it let out puffs of dust as it went, leaving a thin trail of dirt behind itself. It slid side to side across the hallway floor, tracking the path left by Ronon's bead, its scanners emitting thin green beams of light in all directions. The flat circular shape of the robot's body meant there was no "head" to take aim at; if Ronon actually shot at the small cleaning unit, he'd end up scattering pieces of it all over, to say nothing of how much dust it was probably storing. Teyla had never noticed a great deal of dust in Atlantis, but that was precisely because of these small robots. She wondered how often they emptied themselves when they weren't malfunctioning. This robot had evidently missed several opportunities to do so; the floor looked worse now than it had before the robot's arrival.

Its scanners finally locked onto Ronon's bead, and the robot headed in that direction, emitting a piercing tone all the way. Four more robots shot out from different side passages, all of them releasing dust as well; the fourth one had dingy brownish-grey smudges all over it, as if someone had tried to grab it and it had just barely escaped reprogramming. The four new robots went to work on the dirt trail left behind by the first robot, but succeeded only in scattering still more dust and debris.

The first robot slid over the bead; it made a rattling noise as it sucked the bead into its dirt reservoir. The rattle continued for a few moments, and the robot began spinning in circles, dust spraying out all around it. The other robots converged on it, slamming into it from all sides.

Suddenly there was a loud bang, and a huge, billowing cloud of smoke appeared. It expanded and rushed down the hallway; the air cleaners were no match for it. Ronon and Teyla began coughing, dust particles filling their lungs; Teyla pushed Ronon through the door to the transporter and slammed her hand down on the "close" button. The transporter doors swished closed, and Teyla glared up at Ronon, still coughing. "You fed that sweeping machine an exploding bead?"

"I didn't know it was gonna explode."

Teyla raised an eyebrow. Ronon backed up a step, hands lifting in mock surrender.

"I really didn't. It must've just been full."

Sighing, Teyla pressed the button for the main crew quarters area; she and Ronon were both filthy again. "This will be my fourth bath of the day," she muttered. "If Dr. McKay does not fix those machines soon..."

"Uh-huh," Ronon agreed, checking his gun and blowing the thin film of dust off its grip. "I'll help you beat him up."

_-end-_


End file.
